There is perhaps no more important area of the male anatomy than the lower abs, and it has little to do with whether a man rocks a six pack abs. A methodical lower abdominal workout targets your deep core and serves as a solid foundation for everyday movement.
te: Most compound exercises already engage your core muscles, although there's no harm in incorporating the best ab exercises for beginners first, and then progressing to more advanced ab exercises. Best of all, you don't need a fully equipped gym to work your core muscles; There are many home ab workout machines that are incredibly effective.
What are the lower abs?
The lower abdominal muscles play a crucial role in all movements. They anchor the posture, stabilize the back and integrate the pelvic floor.
First, a quick physiology lesson: The lower abs are part of core strength, but a washboard is more a byproduct of building core strength than a sign of it. The key to building core muscle lies in activating a remarkable muscle called the transverse abdomen. Think of the "TA" as nature's weight belt, the point guard of the lower abs. It originates in the lower spine, encircles and lodges in the ribs, abdominal muscles, and pelvis. When we pull the belly button in toward the spine and up toward the ribs, as we often do in many movements, we are essentially tightening a belt, providing protection for the pelvis and lower back.
Your rectus abdominis is a long muscle that encompasses both your "upper" and "lower" abdominal muscles. So technically, there aren't any exercises that explicitly isolate either half individually (although you may feel the burn more in one area than another). Still, there are things you can do to really pop those lower abs, says Don Saladino, CPT
Safety considerations when training the lower abdominal muscles
Whenever a movement begins, the TA is the first muscle to fire—or at least it should. Many men lose this ability over time due to injury or a sedentary lifestyle. We spend so much time in front of screens that we develop poor posture. Injuries are the result and further aggravate the problem.
When you perform the following lower ab exercises correctly, you should feel your pelvic floor muscles - just behind your pubic bone - engage and engage your lower abs, glutes, hip flexors, and pelvic floor muscles.
Make sure to engage your transverse abs throughout the day by slowly pulling your belly button away from your belt buckle or waistband. Don't think about sucking in your stomach or holding your breath like you're about to throw a punch, but instead slowly wiggle your belly button back and forth. You can do this while stuck in traffic, in a meeting, during a break from work - and finally during your lower abs workout.
How do you burst the lower abs?
#1: Diet is key. Remember that working out your core muscles alone isn't enough — you also need discipline in the kitchen to show off your lower abs. (Here are the best foods to show off your six pack abs.)
Second, if you change up your routine by shocking your core with new lower ab exercises, you can eliminate your love handles and define those elusive gender lines.
Can I do abdominal exercises every day?
You can do a lower abs workout every day whether you're in the gym or not. Since this TA fires at the start of every move, you want to make sure it's fully activated. If you do that, you will have no problem initiating the following movements from your abs, rather than craning your neck, swinging your arms and legs, or other actions that men take that might defeat and cause the purpose of these movements also an injury.
A note on exercise equipment for the lower abs
Countless ab machines have been marketed for six pack abs, but a lower ab workout requires no more than is found in a typical gym. You want to work on lower abdominal exercises that simultaneously target your rectus abdominis and obliques (this V-line is where these two muscles meet). Integrate medication and swiss balls, suspension trainers, cable machines and free weights.
Here are 25 of the best lower ab exercises curated by Sean Hyson, CSCS, to add to your workout routine.
Best Lower Abs Workout: 25 Exercises for a Strong Core
Why it works
Why it works
Why it works
Why it works
Why it works
Why it works
Why it works
Why it works
Why it works
Why it works
Why it works
Why it works
Why it works
Why it works
Why it works
Why it works
Why it works
Why it works
Why it works
Why it works
Why it works
Why it works
Why it works
Why it works
Why it works
This article was reviewed by Pete Williams, CPT.
